Julia Eisen in The Ben Folds Project. Photo by Heather Thorne, Taken at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

How many years have you been doing ballet?

I started ballet at age 4, so I’ve been dancing for 23 years now (10 of those years professionally).

What are some roles you’ve danced with Nashville Ballet?

I began dancing at Nashville Ballet in 2010. Since I’ve been here, I’ve danced Lady Fortune in Nashville Ballet Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling’s Carmina Burana and Dew Drop Fairy in Vasterling’s Nashville’s Nutcracker. A few of my other favorite roles have been in Jirí Kylián’s Petite Mort and Christopher Bruce’s Moonshine and Sergeant Early’s Dream.

What’s your favorite thing about ballet?

My favorite thing about ballet is the moments captured while you’re on stage. It’s like time has stopped and you’re completely in the moment. You’re sharing something special with the other dancers and the audience that will never be recreated exactly.

There are days when you take class in your grungiest clothes and pin your hair up quickly, and there are days you want to look more “put together’. While not every day warrants a fancy outfit and hairstyle, let’s face it–sometimes it’s fun to dress up a little bit!

It is in this spirit that we’ve assembled a few different ideas for adding a touch of fresh style to your look for class. From including a simple flourish on your dance skirt to applying your makeup a little differently, these small things can keep you feeling your best, and add a little inspiration on those days you need a little something to make class a bit more fun…

Try out a new hairstyle

Nothing can change your appearance quite like a new hairstyle, but sometimes it can be hard to figure out what works visually and makes sense for that fast pirouette combination in the middle of class!

Re-re Twist hairstyle. Model Lissa Smith.

The “Re-re Twist”

Created by Hubbard Street dancer Emilie Leriche, the Re-re Twist is a fun, pretty hairstyle we featured previously on the blog a while back. It’s fancy, it’s functional, and it’s different! There is a step-by-step tutorial for you on this page.

After all, braids don’t have to be boring.

If you love the look of a traditional ballet bun but want something fresh, take a peek at Pinterest for over 1,000 options ranging from little variations you can pull off on your own to those that may require a co-pilot. You can also check out this post on the Rockettes site that shares a few video tutorials for creative hairstyles.

Dress up your practice clothes

You don’t always have to buy new leotards or skirts to change up your look for class. With just a little bit of time and a tutorial to follow, creating a new look for old clothes can be a simple task that adds a little bit of interest to an otherwise standard item. It doesn’t have to be expensive!

Add a little sparkle

Popping in a few rhinestones can make a plain skirt or leotard a little prettier. You don’t have to add very many to liven up the look–after all you don’t want to get too flashy–but a well-placed dot of sparkle can look lovely. Here’s a tutorial that walks you through how to add rhinestones to lace:

Go ombre

A great way to extend the life of a plain leotard or skirt is to dye it another color. We love this ombre skirt idea, shown in the video below–it’s very different, and fairly simple to do once you understand the basics of dying fabric. (Get some other outfit ideas from BDancewear’s free DIY download.*)

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Change up the makeup

While you may not want to do a full makeup job for class every day, here and there it can feel good to try out a new look, just for kicks. Here are a couple to get you started–

The smokey eye

This is definitely a strong eye makeup look, but it does add quite a bit of drama! Concealer underneath the eye makes it pop, and you can go a little lighter with the coloring if you are looking for something a little less intense.

Simple lip tip

Feel like drawing out your lips a little more without adding a lot of time to your makeup routine? Find out how to emphasize your “cupid’s bow” with this simple lip tip – it takes two seconds!

What do you do to keep your look fresh for class? We’d love to hear any tips you’ve come up with!

*Disclosure – 4dancers accepts compensation from BDancewear as an advertiser on the site.

With Ballet San Antonio I have been very lucky to perform a wide variety of different roles and characters. Some of my favorites have been the title roles in Ben Stevenson’s Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella, as well as the role of Odette/Odile in his Swan Lake. I’ve also danced the lead in Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations. In February, I performed the role of Wendy in Peter Anastos’ Peter Pan. It was a very fun ballet with lots of silly moments…and, as Wendy, I got to fly!

What’s your favorite thing about ballet?

One of my favorite things about ballet is that it is always changing, and, as a result, ballet is always changing me as a person. Everyday I come into the studio and discover something new about my technique or learn a new approach on tackling a particularly demanding step. As a performer, I’m constantly learning new ballets and choreography. With each new piece, I learn new ways to understand musicality and search for the intention behind the movement. Throughout the rehearsal process I find myself growing as an artist, an actress, a dancer, and as a human being. And then I get to share everything I’ve learned and experienced on stage with the world! I feel incredibly lucky to call myself a ballet dancer and feel very fortunate to always be growing as a person through this beautiful art form.

What’s in your dance bag?

Freed Maple Leaf Variation pointe shoes – I have about 6 pairs rotating at a time which I keep organized in a reusable wine bag (this way they are organized by pair and not mixing with my other dance wear), toe spacers and gauze which I use instead of toe tape (it doesn’t slip off when my feet get sweaty!), foot roller, dense rolling ball, thera band, back warming brace, Rubiawear leg warmers and socks that I’ve cut into ankle warmers, shorts, Eleve and Tulips by Tracy skirts, aqua socks (they keep my feet so warm!), multiple shades of chapstick/lipstick, water bottle, and, for snacks, I usually like to have bananas or apples, nuts, and protein powder (mix with water for a quick and easy snack when you don’t have a long break!).

Sally Turkel. Photograph by Alexander Devora.

Sally Turkel began her ballet training at the Cary Ballet Conservatory, in her hometown of Cary, North Carolina. At age 14, she was accepted into the residential high school’s ballet studies program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Upon graduation, Ms. Turkel performed with Houston Ballet, HBII, Carolina Ballet and Steifel and Stars. In subsequent years she joined Colorado ballet, where she danced for five seasons, performing a wide range of both classical and contemporary roles. A few of her favorites include the Serenity Fairy and Puss and Boots in Sleeping Beauty, Little Swans in Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Glen Tetley’s The Rite of Spring, Michael Pink’s Peter Pan and Dracula, Agnes DeMille’s Rodeo, Lynn Taylor Corbett’s Great Galloping Gottschalk, and Christopher Wheeldon’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In 2013 Ms. Turkel joined Ballet San Antonio and was promoted to Principal Dancer the following year. While with Ballet San Antonio, Ms. Turkel has danced the roles of Odette/Odile in Ben Stevenson’s Swan Lake, Mina in Gabriel Zertuche’s Dracula, Cinderella and Fairy God Mother in Stevenson’s Cinderella, the Sugarplum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and the female lead in Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations. In addition, she has worked with choreographers such as Stephen Mills, Twyla Tharp, Michael Pink, Emery LeCrone, and Stanton Welch.

In February 2015, Ms. Turkel danced the role of Juliet in Ben Stevenson’s Romeo & Juliet.

“Turkel maintains the character arc from impudent and reluctant girl to the grieving and horror stricken widow-too-young, with a richness of feeling that goes beyond her obvious prowess as a dancer.” [Tami Kegley, The Rivard Report].

I have been doing ballet for 17 years. I took my first class when I was 5 years old.

What are some roles you’ve danced with Ballet Memphis?

This is my third season with Ballet Memphis. My favorite character role has been Clara in The Nutcracker. I have also enjoyed roles in Swan Lake, Peter Pan, Steven McMahon’s Confluence, Matthew Neenan’s The Darting Eyes, Gabrielle Lamb’s I am a woman: Moult, Mark Godden’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, and others.

What’s your favorite thing about ballet?

I love the process of becoming a character and sharing a piece of my soul with the audience through that character.

What’s in your dance bag?

Freed Wing Block pointe shoes, I am currently transitioning from a 3½ XX to a 4 XX to try to get a better fit. I like Maker A best. I keep several pairs of pointe shoes in my bag so I can rotate them and wear different pairs for different rehearsals. I also have a pair of flat shoes (Sansha size 5), toe pads, toe spacers, two kinds of toe tape, a sewing kit with needles, thread, scissors, toe nail clippers, Thera-band, trash bag shorts, two wrap skirts, a tin of hairpins, two balls for massaging, and a water bottle. I often bring my phone and sometimes headphones as well. Finally, I try to keep some nuts or fruit with me for energy during long rehearsals.

The staff over at BDancewear asked if I would like to check out some of their merchandise and write something up for our readers.* When I agreed, they shipped me a nice box of goodies to try out, and I’d like to share some of my favorites with you. But first, I wanted to mention a little bit about the company itself, as I think some background is always nice…

One thing I found fascinating about this business is that they offer items in 200+ different colors. The ability to get a piece you like in a shade you love it pretty impressive. And the pieces are all made in the USA, which to me is another selling point. Add to that the fact that you are supporting a small business when purchasing from them, and it stacks up to be a pretty good deal overall. Especially since the items I sampled were very well made.

High-Waist Pants

By far my favorite item in the package was the pair of high-waisted pants. I got the cotton ones, and they are excellent quality, lasting a very long time. I washed and dried them repeatedly, and since they are a bit on the long side (which I love, because I have long legs and my pants always shrink too much), they stood up to it just fine.

I’ve had many types of pants like this – all name brands – and these held up better than any other one to the wear/tear and wash cycle of a dancer. No splitting seams, no see-through spots, no loose elastic. I’m still wearing them, many months later. The only caveat is they are long, so shorter people may have an issue with the fit. They also make a high-waisted brief that is very comfortable.

I love shrugs, and the ones offered by BDancewear are no exception. Besides keeping my arms warm in a tank top or sleeveless leotard, they look pretty. I find these are one of those “optional” pieces, like a dance skirt, that makes you feel more like a dancer. Decorative/fun pieces. And again, the ability to dial in the fabric and color is a nice touch.

High-Low Skirt

The company sells a full compliment of skirts as well, which can be a good choice for dance school students, or possibly instructor attire. I find the high-low skirts appealing, but there are a variety of choices, including angle skirts, circle skirts and longer skirts. To me these were better suited for the casual student, not as much geared toward the pre-professional or professional dancer. Studios with a color-coded system will find they can get any shade they need here.

In addition to the different colors available, BDancewear also offers a number of fabric choices, including lycra, velvet, cotton, mesh and more. They also stock sports bras, gloves, tank tops, briefs, leotards and other items.

To learn more about the company and take a look at their full range of offerings, visit them on the web at BDancewear.

For additional information on the company and more clothing reviews, visit our friends at Dance Advantage for their take on BDancewear.

*BDancewear has purchased ad space with 4dancers in the past. Review items were sent at no charge. This is not an advertorial.

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